


Promises to Keep

by crescendmoon



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Also in no way am I condoning Axel's decisions in that regard, Axel cheating/being unfaithful despite having good intentions, Axel trying to juggle two things at once, Demyx heavily disapproving of all of Axel's decisions, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Abuse, M/M, One-Sided Relationship, Physical Abuse, Self-Harm, Unrequited Love, Vanitas being a huge jackass, but underneath it all he's actually a cinnamon roll
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 12:16:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4564338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescendmoon/pseuds/crescendmoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How does someone help a friend who obviously does not want to be helped? Roxas and Axel learn that not all promises can be kept, and not all secrets should be kept secret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> I'm reposting this KH fic I've been working on from my FF.net account to AO3! Don't worry, I'll still be updating it on FF.net~
> 
> I understand that this fic is eventually going to have a lot of angsty topics that might make some of you uncomfortable, so I tried to add as many warnings in the tags as I could. I plan on making most of those things IMPLIED, but some things I won't be able to. I will also put warnings before each chapter just in case. 
> 
> This is my first KH fic so hopefully it'll turn out alright :')  
> Main pairings are Axel/Roxas and Vanitas/Ventus. They are going to be the main focus, but the other pairings I listed in the tags (as well as some possible minor side pairings) will make occasional appearances. One of them will even be the center of a later plot~
> 
> I hope you enjoy it!

** ~Third Person POV~**

The halls were quiet at Radiant Garden High School. It was towards the beginning of October, so the school year had already started. The only people in the hallway, were two brothers, new to the school and Radiant Garden as a whole. Their names were Roxas, and Ventus Strife. They had just moved to Radiant Garden from Twilight Town, due to their father, Cloud, being transferred due to his job. Ventus was the older one by two years, entering as a senior in high school, while Roxas was entering as a sophomore. And while they looked so identical that they could pass as twins, the difference between them can be observed from their personalities. Ventus was more upbeat and optimistic, but also impulsive. Roxas on the other hand, was more quiet, snarky, and short-tempered. However, both of them were quite smart, being in mostly advanced placement classes at their old high school. And in a few minutes, they were going to start their new lives in unfamiliar territory. 

“Class, may I introduce you to Roxas Strife.” The teacher commented. “He just transferred her from Twilight Town High School.”

Roxas stared blankly at the mix of uninterested and surprised faces in front of him, only nodding in confirmation. The teacher, who’s name was apparently Ansem Wise, began looking for some open seats. “You can sit next to Demyx, if that is alright with you.” The boy, Demyx, lazily raised his hand. He looked like he was going to fall asleep at any moment...and sure enough, that’s what he did half-way through the class period. Roxas listened intently to the lecture, and the next thing he knew, class was over.

 

...

 

The first day of his school year was an uneventful one. Sighing, Roxas waited at the front of the school for Ventus. He observed his surroundings, and immediately was able to point out who the popular kids were. Three in particular stood out to him. The three were standing in the parking lot, surrounded by their cult of followers. One had spiky brown hair that seemed to go off in all directions. He looked really excited about something. Another one had long silver hair and looked aloof and proud. Roxas hated this type of person the most. The last one, a petite girl, had reddish-brown hair and looked like she was enjoying the attention. Roxas hated popular kids. At least, at his old school they were snooty and thought they were superior to everyone else. These kids were probably snooty and rich. He scoffed in disgust. 

“..........You don’t like popular kids that much, do you...?” A small voice said right next to him. Surprised, Roxas jolted his head around to see a small, frail looking girl with short black hair. She was wearing eye liner black nail polish, and was wearing a ripped up black long sleeved shirt over a black tank top, and had black skinny jeans on with boots. Normally, Roxas wasn’t one to judge, but at his old school the kids often called people like this ‘freaks’.  

Roxas just stared at the girl. “Are you...talking to me?”

The girl nodded. “You were glaring at those kids for a while now...” She had a weak smile.

Roxas scratched his head. “At my old school, they were kinda...well, mean would be a lighter way to describe it.”

“Those three may be popular, but they are anything but mean.” The girl explained. “That spiky haired one is probably the nicest person I have ever met...”

Roxas looked at the kid the girl pointed out. He certainly didn’t seem mean...but what were the chances of a guy like Roxas ever talking to popular kids like that? He shrugged. “Guess I’ll know if I ever talk to them.”

The girl smiled. “.........My name is Xion...Xion Even...nice to meet you.”

“...Roxas Strife.” 

Xion giggled. “Roxas...I like that name. Umm...can we be...friends...? I’ll understand if you don’t want to...”

His eyes widened slightly, his cheeks turning a little pink. “Oh, um I don’t mind...sure.” He smiled. “I’ll be your friend.” 

Xion looked really happy. “Thank you...” She looked at her phone. “Oh, I have to go wait for my dad...he’s a teacher here but he should be done soon...It was nice meeting you, Roxas.” 

“Nice meeting you too.” Roxas smiled. The girl smiled back and ran back into the school building. Roxas scratched his head. ‘Well that was weird...but oh well, I guess I can actually tell my parents I made a friend...’

“Hey, Roxas!”

Roxas looked to the side at the sound of his brother’s voice. Though what he saw was surprising. Ventus ran up to him, but his hair was messed up and he looked like he went through a war zone. “Ven? What happened to you?!”

Ventus sighed. He looked exhausted. “Oh you know, victim of bullying. What else is new.” He chuckled. “Some guy tripped me and I fell into a puddle of mud on the grass. Jackass.”

Roxas let out an exasperated sigh. “Not again...where is he? I’m gonna beat the shit out of him.”

“Roxas, I know that you’re upset, and I appreciate you wanting to help me out...but seriously, don’t. This guy looked really tough.” Ventus began wiping off some of the dirt from his face.

“Well, what does he look like?” Roxas asked. Ventus was about to answer, when someone caught his eye. “...That’s him.” He pointed out the guy to Roxas.

Turning around, Roxas saw the guy he was pointing to. He...looked like one of the popular kids, actually...and he was walking right up to them, too. The guy had the same spiky hair, except his hair was jet black. He also had golden eyes and a face that looked menacing. Overcome with anger, Roxas walked into that direction. Ventus ran after him.

 

...

 

“So should we throw the party at your house, Sora?” The red-haired girl asked him. The boy named Sora began to think. “Well, I don’t mind...but my brother will be there too, unless I get him to leave...which is unlikely.” 

The boy with silver hair scoffed. “Your brother needs to get a hobby other than the shit he’s been pulling.” He turned to the girl. “Kairi, remember when he threw a balloon filled with black paint at you?"

Kairi grimaced. “Yeah...I had to throw out that dress I was wearing because the paint wouldn’t come out.”

“Come on guys...my brother may be mean, but he’s nice at heart...” Sora tried to defend his brother. “Riku...”

The boy named Riku groaned. “...Fine...” But that groan turned into a growl when he saw who was approaching. “...Speak of the devil.”

“...........I suggest you look at someone else, otherwise you’ll find my fist in your face.” The black-haired guy glared at Riku. 

Riku laughed sarcastically. “Make me.”

Sora stood in between them. “Okaaaay guys, that’s enough.” He turned to his brother. “Vanitas, I’m surprised you’re out here so early. No detention?”

 Vanitas scoffed. “I don’t get detention all the time. But I’m going home, so come on.” 

“Hey, if Sora wants to stay longer then I’ll take him home.” Riku looked angry. Sora, on the other hand, chuckled awkwardly. “No, it’s okay Riku. My dad made it clear that until Vanitas graduates, I have to go home with him every day.”

Riku continued to glare at Vanitas. “...IF he graduates.”

“Watch it, you little shit.” Vanitas growled. Sora and Kairi were looking at each other worriedly, before a new voice came into the mix. 

“HEY!” 

They all turned their heads to see a short blond kid walking towards them, with another guy behind him. 

Sora, Kairi, and Riku looked confused, while Vanitas just stared. The kid stood in front of Vanitas, anger obvious on his face. “Are you the one who tripped my brother?”

“Roxas...don’t...” Ventus whispered, trying to stop him. Vanitas chuckled. “Well, if it ain’t the little pipsqueak.” He looked at Ventus. “You having your bro fight your battles?”

“N-No!” Ventus yelled back. “Roxas, come on...!”

Roxas ignored his brother’s pleas and glared at Vanitas. “My brother already had to endure bullying at our old school. He doesn’t need it here. I suggest you back off, or you’ll be sorry.”

Riku looked impressed by the new kid, while Kairi and Sora looked horrified. Sora knew better than anyone else not to talk back to his brother, much less threaten him. “Vanitas, dad said we need to get home now...” He made an attempt to stop the fighting.

Vanitas rolled his eyes. “Now you want to go home. Tch, fine.” He looked at Roxas and Ventus. Smirking, he walked over to a motorcycle, with Sora following him. They both got on the motorcycle and drove off, the sound of the engine roaring in the distance. 

Roxas balled his hands into fists. “Roxas, it’s okay...” Ventus tried to calm his brother down. Roxas was still angry. “No, it’s not! Ven, you don’t deserve to be treated this way! It’s wrong!”

Riku coughed, causing Roxas and Ventus to look in his direction. “Just so you know, Vanitas has always been that way. And believe me, if he wasn’t Sora’s brother, I would have pummeled the shit out of him a long time ago.”

Roxas sighed, before looking at Ventus. “I don’t care whose brother he is. If he ever does that to Ven again...”

Kairi smiled. “So your names are Roxas and Ventus? Nice to meet you, I’m Kairi.”

Roxas and Ventus looked at her, confusion in their eyes. Riku rolled his eyes; he could tell Kairi was trying to change the subject.

“Oh, umm nice to meet you, Kairi.” Ventus smiled. Roxas just stared blankly, before turning around. “It’s time to go, Ven.”

Ventus nodded. “It was nice meeting you two.”

Kairi smiled, and Riku nodded. Ventus and Roxas then began their walk home.

“Oh, maybe I should invite them to the party! They seemed nice...” Kairi offered, to which Riku crossed his arms. “If it’s going to be held at Sora’s house, do you honestly think they’d come knowing that Vanitas would be there as well?” 

Kairi frowned. “Well...Vanitas rarely, if ever, comes out of his room when Sora has people over...”

Riku groaned. “Fine, go ahead. But don’t blame me if shit happens.”

“I’ll ask them tomorrow, then!” Kairi giggled. Smiling, Riku and Kairi said their goodbyes and went off in their respected directions.

 

...

 

“Mom, dad, we’re home!” Roxas called out in their house. Ventus stepped inside and immediately went up the stairs, the sound of the bathroom door slamming shut.

Their mom, a woman named Aerith, walked into the living room from the kitchen. “Welcome home! Your father is still at work. I made some mac and cheese for you two if you want some.” She went back into the kitchen, with Roxas following her. 

“So how was school?” Aerith asked Roxas. He shrugged. “Boring. At least, for me...”

Aerith could hear the bit of concern Roxas had in his voice. “Are you alright, sweetie? And where’s Ventus?” She glanced in the living room, and there was no Ventus in sight. 

Roxas sighed. “He ran upstairs to the bathroom. Some guy tripped him and he fell into amud puddle. He’s probably getting the dirt off right now.”

Aerith gasped. “What? Why would someone do that?”

“Cause he’s a bully, mom. That’s what they do.” Roxas glared at nothing in particular. 

“Well, next time he does that to my baby, I should have your father take him in for interrogation.” Aerith began cutting up vegetables.

“Mom, don’t do that.” Ventus said, walking into the kitchen. He changed into new clothes. “I’m fine. See? No cuts or bruises. Just dirt.” He grinned.

Aerith sighed. “I really worry about you two sometimes...”

 

...

 

It was almost dinner time, and Roxas and Ventus were in the living room watching TV, when the front door opened and closed. 

“I’m home...” 

Roxas looked over the couch. “Hey, dad.”

Cloud walked into the living room. “Hey, boys. How was school?” They both shrugged, which earned an eye roll from Cloud. Aerith walked into the living room as well. “Hey, honey. How was working in a new place?” She gave Cloud a hug.

Cloud sighed. “It was alright. I was assigned a partner today...and you’ll never believe how old this kid is. He couldn’t be no more than twenty-five. The higher-ups claim he’s a genius at what he does.”

Aerith looked surprised. “Wow, then I guess you have a reliable partner then?”

“Yeah...but I don’t like his attitude.” Cloud scratched his head. “He’s lazy and doesn’t seem too motivated. Not to mention has a mouth on him.” He crossed his arms. “He brought his brother down to the station as well. Something about keeping an eye on him.” 

Aerith chuckled. “Well, I’m glad your day was interesting. Dinner’s ready.”

“Alright, I’ll just change out of my uniform.” Cloud yawned and walked upstairs, while Aerith, Roxas, and Ventus walked into the kitchen. 

 

...

 

“So tell me about school, boys.” Cloud asked Roxas and Ventus simultaneously. 

Ventus groaned. “Nothing happened. School is school...it’s not really that interesting.”

Aerith looked at Cloud. “Ventus is being bullied at school again...” 

Cloud immediately looked at Ventus. “What?”

“Mom!” Ventus wailed. “I told you, it’s fine! Someone just tripped me; I didn’t get hurt!”

Roxas continued to silently eat his food, while Cloud and Ventus continued to argue. All of a sudden, there was a loud booming sound, that seemed to come from the street their house was on. Startled, Roxas and Ventus jumped up, while Cloud had a suspicious look on his face. “Aerith, take Roxas and Ventus upstairs.” 

Aerith nodded and got up from the table, quickly getting Roxas and Ventus and the three of them ran up the stairs, taking refuge from the hallway upstairs. In the meantime, Cloud walked cautiously up to the front door, his gun still in its holster. He slowly opened the door and was immediately overcome by the intense aroma of smoke. As a matter of fact, there was still smoke in the air when he opened the door. Looking around, he heard the sounds of a teenager’s laughing, one that sounded...strangely familiar. Looking further down the street, he found out why. 

“Hey, you!” He ran up to the kid, who was standing in the middle of the street with another kid. 

“.........Oh shit.” The kid whispered from his mouth, while the other one just rolled his eyes. “I told you this was a bad idea. But you never listen to me.”

The next thing they knew, Cloud had grabbed hold of one of them, anger evident on his face. “You. Come with me.” He walked towards his house, the kid’s friend walking behind him. Slamming the door open, Cloud pulled the kid inside and made him sit at the kitchen table. The friend sat down as well. “You two wait here. I have to call someone.” He reached for the telephone mounted on the wall. In the meantime, Aerith, Roxas, and Ventus walked down the stairs. 

“Is everything...alright?” Aerith was surprised to see two boys sitting at her table. Roxas and Ventus were just as equally surprised. Roxas, in particular, stared at the two boys. One of the boys had spiky red hair that looked like they could poke your eyes out, and he had gleaming emerald eyes. He also had a smirk plastered onto his face, which for some reason pissed Roxas off. The other one had long blue hair, with some spiking up towards the back. But the most astonishing thing about this one, was the x-shaped scar he had on his face.

Cloud began talking into the phone. “Hey, Reno...Yeah this is Cloud. No, will you just listen for a second? Can you come over to my house really quick? Your brother is here and he has some things to explain to me...Yes. I live at 8813 Oblivion Rd. Alright.” He hung up the phone, and immediately began interrogating the young man in front of him. 

“Name?”

The kid stared at him, still smirking. “Axel. Get it memorized.”

Cloud glared at him. “Alright, Axel. What the hell were you doing out there?”

Axel shrugged. “Oh you know...just playing with fire.”

Cloud crossed his arms. “Well, whatever you were doing, do you know how dangerous that could have been?!” He sighed. “Forget it. I’ll let your brother take care of you." 

“Oh, I’m scared now.” Axel chuckled.

Roxas could swear he saw a vein pop from Cloud’s face. The sound of the doorbell ringing was the only thing that broke the tension in the room. Cloud got up to answer it, while Aerith and Ventus walked into the living room. However, Roxas opted to stay in the kitchen, standing awkwardly by the counter. Axel looked at him. “So...you’re the new kid at school, right?”

Roxas jumped a little, not expecting the guy to talk to him. “Yeah, and?”

Axel chuckled. “You’re in my P.E class. I saw you sitting on the benches while everyone else played basketball and shit.”

Roxas raised his eyebrow. He was sure that he would have recognized this guy from his P.E class...that hair was too weird not to notice. But...well, he wasn’t really paying attention in P.E, so maybe that was why. At that moment, Cloud came walking into the kitchen, with another red-head behind him. The guy looked PISSED.

“Axel, get in the car. I’ll deal with you later.” The guy stated stiffly. 

Axel rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Reno.” He got up and walked out the door, the sound of a car door closing afterward. 

Reno sighed. “Sorry bout that, Cloud. There’s a reason I feel the need to take my brother down to the station whenever I can. It’s so he doesn’t pull shit like this at every possible moment.”

Cloud scratched his head. “It’s alright...it just startled my family, is all.”

Reno nodded, and looked at the other kid. “........Saix, did you want a ride back home?” 

The young man named Saix stared at him blankly. “If that’s alright.”

“Alright, well, I’ll see you at work, Cloud.” Reno told him, before walking out the door with Saix close behind. Aerith locked the door. 

“...I think that’s enough excitement for one day...I’m going to go to bed...” Cloud yawned, and walked up the stairs.

Aerith sighed. “I’ll wash the dishes. You two should go to bed as well. You have school tomorrow.” 

Roxas and Ventus nodded, and walked up the stairs. “That was exciting, wasn’t it?” Ventus commented, to which Roxas grimaced. “Why do we always attract all this drama? Can’t we just have a normal life for once?”

Ventus grinned. “But that’s so boring! C’mon Roxas, you know you were just as excited.” 

Roxas rolled his eyes. “I’ll let you keep thinking that. ‘Night.” And Roxas shut his bedroom door. He could hear Ventus protesting, before he closed his door as well. Roxas immediately fell onto his bed, enjoying how soft it was. Today was a long day...he can only imagine how tomorrow would be. His eyes slowly began to close, until he finally fell asleep.

 

... 

 

It was almost midnight by the time Reno and Axel had arrived back at their apartment. The apartment was rather average, containing a kitchen, a small area that had a couch and TV, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. Reno let out an exasperated sigh, before looking at Axel, who went straight to the couch.

“Axel, don’t start this shit again. I don’t want you going to prison because of this.” Reno sat next to him. He had concern in his eyes. “...I know that we didn’t exactly have a...loving childhood...but our dad’s in prison now. He can’t hurt you anymore, alright?”

Axel rolled his eyes, not answering him. Instead, he changed the subject. “...Why couldn’t Saix stay here?”

Reno groaned. “Axel, don’t change the subject. We’re talking about you, not Saix.”

Axel wouldn’t budge. Leaning back in defeat, Reno crossed his arms. “Axel, Saix has been staying over here quite a bit, lately. Why is that?”

Axel shrugged in response. “How should I know? Saix told me that his dad is out of the house a lot, and he doesn’t feel safe being alone in the house...considering where he lives and all.” That was partially true, anyway. Axel had promised not to tell anyone the truth, and that was a promise he was going to keep.

Reno got up from the couch, and put his hand on his shoulder. “He’ll be alright. I don’t want his dad to be worrying about where he is every time he gets home to an empty house.”

‘Trust me, I don’t think he worries.’ Axel scoffed. “Right. Well, I’m gonna head to bed now.”

“...Don’t think you’re off the hook. After school, you come straight to the police station. If you’re not there, you won’t be able to go to that party on Saturday.” Reno stated, before disappearing into his room at the end of the hall.

Rolling his eyes, Axel went into his own room, shutting his door. He sat on his bed, and after thinking through things, he punched the wall. “...I made a promise...but...what happens if things get too out of hand...Saix?”


	2. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roxas meets new friends, and learns a few things about them as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: contains depictions of violence in the form of head trauma (not in graphic detail)

**Roxas’s POV**

“Hey, Roxas?”

I looked at Ventus with a questioning expression.

Ventus continued. “You think we’ll get girlfriends sometime this year?”

I rolled my eyes. “Who cares? Relationships are a waste of time...especially if you’re still in high school and will probably never talk to them after you graduate.” 

“Awww, don’t be like that.” Ventus nudged me. “I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to date someone...to live with them, and feel like you can’t live without them...”

“Sounds horrible.” I deadpanned. This earned a long sigh from Ventus. But that was just how I was. I wasn’t the type to dwell onto something like love. To me, it was more of a burden than anything else.

It wasn’t long before they entered the school grounds. Unlike most people, we preferred to get to school extra early. Hardly anyone was on campus at this time...there was still an hour before school started, after all. 

“Anyway, I’m going to the library to study. I need to catch up on the curriculum.” I stated. “...You should do that too, you know.”

Ventus shrugged. “I’ll be fine, I’m not that worried about catching up.” He smirked at tapped the side of his head. “I got it all up here.”

This earned a sarcastic eye roll from me. “Whatever, smart ass. Unlike you, I actually need to study to do well.” I turned to head towards the library. “...You’ll be alright on your own...?”

Ventus knew what I was insinuating. “I can handle things on my own, Rox. You don’t need to protect me. I’m gonna go get some breakfast in the cafeteria before class starts, alright?” And Ventus ran off towards the cafeteria.

Sighing, I shook my head before walking in the direction of the library. I wasn’t surprised to see that it was almost empty. There were only a few people in the building, as well as the librarian. My eyes stopped on one familiar face sitting at one of the tables. She appeared to be reading a textbook. I decided to walk over to her. “Hey...Xion, right?” I asked, and sat across from her. Xion looked up and smiled to see that it was me.

“Hi, Roxas.” She closed her textbook. “I didn’t expect to see you here at this hour.”

I shrugged. “I’ve always preferred getting to school early. Though today I wanted to...hopefully catch up with the things I missed.” I reached into my backpack and took out a textbook of my own. “Why are _you_ here so early?” 

She chuckled a bit. “I told you that my dad is a teacher here, right? I go with him when he leaves for work.”

I hummed at Xion’s explanation. In my mind, I almost pitied her for having a teacher as a parent. She probably had to be the perfect student, get good grades and whatnot, and if she misbehaved once in school then her dad would be the first to hear of it. Though my own dad was a police officer, so that was probably just as bad. 

Upon not hearing a response from me, Xion decided to change the subject. “I saw that you met Riku and Kairi yesterday?”

That question broke me out of my line of thought and I nodded. “Yeah...though it was completely unintentional.”

“Oh...?” Xion leaned her head to the side.

I clenched my fists. “My brother got bullied by some creep named Vanitas. Vanitas just happened to be talking with them when I confronted him.”

Xion let out a small gasp. “You confronted Vanitas?! Wow...” She mumbled something under her breath, words that I couldn’t really tell what they were. She frowned. “He’s...definitely someone you shouldn’t mess with. He is the polar opposite of his brother.”

“You mean Sora?” I recalled that one excited kid that left with Vanitas. “Yeah...they definitely seemed different.”

Xion nodded. “Vanitas is Sora’s older brother by a year. He’s not a bad guy...he just does the things he does for attention...”

“...You seem to know a lot about him...more than you’re leading on.” I questioned her. Xion in turn looked surprised at the remark, before giving me a gentle smile.

“I...I used to hang out with Sora back in elementary school, so I would go to his house a lot. Vanitas was there as well, of course.” Her expression saddened. “I don’t want to say anything that would be out of line. You’ll have to see for yourself to judge.”

This earned a look of confusion from me, but I decided not to pry any further. Instead, I opened my textbook. “What class do you have first?”

“Oh, I have English.” Xion held up her textbook to show me the front of it. “I forgot to read a poem for the class, so I was doing that when you came to talk to me.”

I smiled. “I have Trigonometry first.” I held up my own textbook. 

Xion giggled. “I have Trigonometry, too. I can help you, if you’d like?” She closed her textbook. “I think I have my poem down.”

“Thanks, Xion, that would help a lot.”

**Ventus’s POV**

The cafeteria was as empty as I expected it to be. Although there were a few people in front of me in line, so I naturally stood behind the last person in line to by some breakfast. I silently swore to myself for not eating before I left the house, since I wasn’t too fond of school food. I preferred to eat healthy, and school food couldn’t even be considered real food, much less healthy. Nonetheless, when it was my turn, I ordered a ham and cheese egg sandwich and a small carton of orange juice, and sat down at a table towards the center of the cafeteria building. I was about to take a bite when I heard...oddly familiar voices walking into the cafeteria. My eyes darted up to the sound, and I swore I felt my stomach drop a bit. Walking in to the cafeteria was none other than Vanitas and Sora. They seemed to be arguing about something. I decided to not bring any attention to myself and began eating my sandwich.

“Sora, why the fuck do you have to have all your little parties at our house?” Vanitas stated in a stiff manner towards his brother. “Is it cause you know Mom and Dad can’t say no to their perfect little angel?”

Sora shook his head. “Of course not! It wasn’t even my idea, Kairi wanted to have a party, and both her and Riku’s houses weren’t available to have one at!” His expression seemed distressed. “You know that Mom and Dad love you just as much as me. They wouldn’t choose favorites. So don’t use the ‘perfect angel‘ card with me.”

“Coulda fooled me.” Vanitas glared at Sora. “Whatever, just get your food so we can get to class.”

Sora sighed. “You don’t have to follow me everywhere I go, Van. You scare my friends away from being around me.” 

“Awww, and here I thought you loved me.” He rolled his eyes. Fine, whatever. I won’t follow you anymore. Just doing what dad told me; keep you safe and all that shit.”

Sora frowned, but nonetheless left Vanitas behind to get some food. I heard most of the words being spoken and silently stared at my burger. So that Vanitas guy thinks he isn’t loved by his family? I had to admit that feeling that way could give him a reason to act the way he does, but...that still doesn’t justify bullying. I began drinking out of my juice carton when I felt a presence beside me. Looking to the side, I almost choked when Vanitas was seated beside me, glaring. I coughed upon swallowing my juice down the wrong pipe, and it took a bit before I recovered.

“I didn’t think you were the type to get to school early.” Vanitas stated stiffly, to which I just scoffed at him. “I didn’t think you were the type, either.”

This earned an eye roll from the other. “I ain’t. Sora likes coming to school early for whatever the reason...probably to see his boyfriend or some shit. My parents force me to take him to school.”

I merely stared at him. Was he...actually attempting to have conversation with me? Vanitas didn’t seem like the type for small talk...he seemed more like an ‘actions speak louder than words’ kinda guy. “...Boyfriend?”

“Hah? There ain’t no gay people where you came from or something?” Vanitas questioned with a dull expression. “Sora’s about as straight as Rainbow Road from Mario Kart. Whether he knows it or not, it’s sickening.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at the comparison. “There were a few at my old school...but my old school also had its fair share of bullies that beat kids up for being anything but ‘normal’, whatever that meant.” I took a bite of my sandwich. 

Vanitas smirked. “Glad I could have this...friendly chat with ya. Doubt it’ll happen again.” He got up from his seat. “...Oh. And if you tell anyone I was nice for even a split second, you’ll find your skull caved in. Got it?”

I swallowed the part of sandwich I had in my mouth and stared at Vanitas, nodding silently. 

This earned another smirk from Vanitas, before the raven-haired teen casually walked out of the cafeteria...right before the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. I groaned and walked out the cafeteria as well, sandwich still in hand.

**Roxas’s POV**

“Alright, class, today we’ll be playing basketball.” The P.E teacher, someone named Xaldin Simmons, exclaimed. “You will get into teams of five...and at least two people have to be the opposite gender. Hurry up and find teams.”

I looked around the area as people began running to find their friends to be a team with. I scratched my head as I had a feeling I wasn’t going to find a group and would eventually have to have the teacher assign me to a team or something like that. 

“Yo, Roxas.”

I turned my head to see Axel walking up to me, along with...Xion? Well that was a surprise, seeing her in the class as well. But I couldn’t help but stare at what she was wearing. It was the middle of October...even though it was autumn, it had to have been close to 90 degrees...and yet, Xion was wearing a heavy black pullover jacket. I was sweating just looking at her. 

“Wanna be in our team? We’ll have a group of five if you join.” Axel smiled. 

I sighed. “Why not...and right, I forgot you said you were in this class.”

“Aww, that hurts to be forgotten so easily.” The redhead replied in a sarcastic manner, to which Xion just giggled. “Well, hopefully things will go well...unlike last time...” She groaned slightly.

I raised an eyebrow at that comment, so Axel began to explain. “A few weeks ago, we were playing soccer. Xion was running towards the person with the ball, and well...the guy kicked the ball and it accidentally hit her in the head. She got sent home with a minor concussion after that...but hey, that meant that Mr. Even had to go home early to take care of her, so I ended up getting a substitute teacher in AP Chemistry. Happy days~” Axel cheered.

Xion grimaced. “Glad to see my pain brought you joy, Axel.”

“No offense Xion, but your dad is probably the most strict teacher at this place. I’d be happy if he never showed up to my class.”

I only half listened to their conversation as I followed them to where the other two people of the team were talking. AP Chemistry was a junior-senior class, so Ventus probably had him, unless he decided to take AP Physics...which sounded horrible. As we stopped in front of the others on our team, I tried so hard not to judge. One of them had pink hair that could probably pass for a girl if it weren’t for the harsh look in his eyes and his somewhat deep voice as he was talking to the girl beside him. The girl was blonde and looked like she had antennas coming out of her head. She also had a rather...intimidating scowl on her face that gave Roxas somewhat of a chill down his spine. And not the good kind, either. 

“Axel, I see you found someone...” The pink haired person stated as he began to look me over. “...You the new kid?”

I hesitantly nodded, unsure of his tone of voice. “Nice to meet you. I’m Marluxia Faust.”

The girl next to him grunted in my direction, a look of spite on her face and a sadistic grin appearing. “Larxene Yi. Are you fresh meat or something?”

I was taken aback. This girl was creepy as hell. “Ummm...no, I’m a sophomore...”

She sighed. “Too bad. Might as well be fresh meat since this is the first time I’ve seen you here.”

Axel looked like he wanted to say something, before Mr. Simmons spoke up. “Now that everyone is in groups, I will assign you teams to play against.”

...

P.E overall went rather well. Though I felt like Axel jinxed Xion, for when she tried to make a rebound, the ball hit her on the head instead. Luckily it wasn’t serious, so she was able to play soon afterward after the teacher looked her over. It was now lunch, and I looked everywhere for Ventus. We never really agreed to meet up for lunch, though we had always done so back at our old school. After a few moments, I caught sight of my brother sitting at a table with a girl with blue hair. They were smiling and laughing, so I was happy to see that he was able to make a friend. I decided to sit somewhere else, so I began searching for a place I could sit. 

Unfortunately, there were too many people in the cafeteria. Why was I even in the cafeteria? I brought my own food today. Sighing, I walked out of the cafeteria and made my way to the quad, where there was still a lot of people; mostly seniors chatting and not even eating. Though I saw a few familiar faces, like Larxene and Marluxia sitting with a kid with blue-gray hair that covered his right eye, as well as...was that the guy who’s in his Trigonometry class? The one with the mullet. Xion was with them too, though she was sitting on the other side of the table with space between her and the one with blue-gray hair. That spot was probably reserved for Axel, who wasn’t with them at the moment. I wasn’t sure if I should sit with them or not, since I wasn’t really well acquainted with them aside from Xion and Axel...

“Hey, Roxas! I’m so glad I found you.” A high pitched voice said behind me. I turned around to see that red haired girl that was with Sora and Riku after school yesterday. I blinked at her, wondering why she would want to find me. She continued to speak. “I was wondering if you and your brother wanted to come to our party? It’s going to be at Sora’s house...” She handed him an invitation. “And if you’re worried about a certain Raven, he never comes out of his room while Sora hosts parties, so no worries!” 

I looked at the invitation, then back at Kairi. “Oh, uh...I’ll have to ask my parents, but if they say it’s alright...” I shrugged. “...Sure.”

Kairi smiled at me. “Oh my god, I’m so happy to hear you agree! Umm, the instructions and time and place are all in the invite, and my number is on there too if you have any other questions!” She giggled before running off. I just stared blankly in the direction she ran off in, before opening the invitation. 

_Annual Halloween Party at Sora’s House!_

_Saturday, October 26th, 8:00pm - 1:00am_

_2100 Oathkeeper Ave, Radiant Garden_

_Costumes are not required, but will be greatly appreciated~_

_Please RSVP if you are going, either by calling me, or letting either Riku, Sora, or I in person (my number is 555-352-0980)_

_~Kairi~_

I folded up the invite and put it in my pants pocket, when someone poked my shoulder. Geez, why are people so interested in me all of a sudden? Turning my head, I saw it was none other than Axel and his stupid grin. “Need a place to sit? You can sit with me and my friends, if you want?” 

I began to weigh my options. What if they didn’t accept me? What if they annoyed me and I didn’t want to deal with them? Sighing, I shrugged. Which I guess made Axel really happy and practically dragged me over to the table where his friends were sitting. 

Xion was happy to see me as well, and scooted over so I could sit next to her. I did just that, with Axel sat across from me. Everyone else either had looks of confusion or indifference plastered on their faces. 

“Guys, this is Roxas. He’s new to this school, and a sophomore...right?” Axel asked me, to which I nodded. “...Nice to meet you all.”

“Oh, hey! You’re the kid who sits next to me in Trig!” The mullet guy stated happily. “I’m Demyx Williams.”

The blue-gray haired one actually took the time to look up from his book to look at me. “...Zexion Takahara.” 

“And of course you know Larx and Mar-Mar.” Axel pointed towards Larxene and Marluxia. They both merely looked at me, before continuing on with their conversation. I observed everyone else; Demyx appeared to be...making some sort of food fort from the crackers and chips he had...and was failing at it. Zexion went right back to his book, and Xion and Axel began talking to each other about random topics. 

I took that moment to reach into my backpack and grab the lunch bag I had. My mom just made me a plain turkey sandwich with lettuce and mustard, a bag of hot cheetos, and a CapriSun. Everyone else at the table bought lunch, apparently. I was about to bite into my sandwich, when...another familiar face came up to the table. That blue-haired guy with the scar on his face. “...Axel.”

And in that moment, I swear that the atmosphere at the table changed drastically. What was once a happy cheerful vibe, turned into a heavy, almost suffocating vibe that someone could cut through with a knife. I looked at the others: Xion looked terrified, with her eyes wide and her lips quivering. Larxene had a pissed off expression, and it looked like she was trying her hardest not to lash out at the man. Marluxia merely glared at the man from the side, not even bothering to look directly at him. Demyx’s teeth were clenched and his hands were balled into fists on the table, glaring daggers at him. But none could compare to Zexion’s menacing, murderous glare. That stoic, emotionless expression he had throughout lunch was now gone and turned into a look of hostility. And that was all from just the look in his eyes. Or...eye, since the other one was hidden. The only one that kept his cool was Axel...which was probably understandable, since the guy was probably a close friend of his.

“Hey, Saix. What’s up...?” Though Axel had a knowing expression on his face. The man named Saix just looked to the side. 

“...I was going to ask if I could hang out with you, but...I don’t think the rest of your friends would want me here.”

“...Damn right we don’t...” Demyx muttered under his breath just loud enough so I could hear it. 

Saix looked in Demyx’s direction, evidence that he was able to hear him as well, and smirked. This scared Demyx a bit, and he looked at the table. Saix returned his attention to Axel. “...I...require your assistance.”

Axel stared at him for a moment, before nodding. “Sure, no problem. Umm, I’ll meet you after school, alright?” 

Saix merely nodded and walked away, towards the library. Everyone else, I noticed, was still on edge.

Axel sighed. “C’mon guys...it’s been a year, can’t you forgive him?”

That was when everyone exploded from their seats, and it was my turn to be terrified. 

“Are you fucking serious, Axel?! After what he did to-” Demyx screamed at him, but Zexion glared at him and made him sit back down. “Calm down, Demyx. Axel is Saix’s best friend, so it’s reasonable for him to react that way.” Though his voice was stiff and had some resentment in it. 

“Zexy, you’re in the middle of all this shit. If it weren’t for that bastard...!” Larxene commented, looking ready to punch someone, but Zexion glared at her as well. Obviously, there was something I was missing, but I figured that it was none of my business, so I didn’t ask. Marluxia looked like he wanted no part of it, so he remained silent, while Xion began to nibble on the pizza slice that was on her tray. 

“Saix has just been through a lot...and he apologized about what happened, remember?” Axel continued, to which Zexion looked at him. “That still doesn’t change what he did to me, Axel. I was hospitalized for a few months because of him.” 

My eyes widened at that. “...What?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to me, and I immediately regretted speaking up. Axel sighed. “...If you guys want to tell him, go ahead. I’m gonna go take a walk before classes start.” And he got up from his seat and walked off. 

Everyone else looked hesitant to say anything, and it was at this moment that Zexion stood up as well. “If you guys tell him, I don’t want to be here to hear it. I’d rather not relive that moment of my life again.” And he walked off as well.

“Umm...if you guys don’t want to explain, that’s fine...I have no business in knowing...” I began, but Demyx stopped me from saying anything else. 

“If you’re gonna hang out with us a lot more in the future, you should know...since Saix comes around here a lot to talk with Axel, and this sort of thing is common. Besides...you’ll probably find out sooner or later.” Demyx sighed.

I nodded cautiously, not really sure if I wanted to know what happened. Marluxia and Larxene shrugged and put their attention on Demyx, while Xion continued to eat her food, away from the conversation. I guess she didn’t want to hear it, either.

Demyx began the story. “...It happened about a year ago. Zexion was a freshman, and he was in my Algebra class. I was a sophomore who flunked Algebra the previous year, so he told me he could help me. I was happy, of course, so I brought him to meet everyone else. We quickly became friends, and he hung out with us almost every day. But one day...” Demyx’s expression saddened. “While I was having a talk with the teacher about something, Zexion told me he’d wait for me outside the classroom...”

“I’ll take over since I was there when it happened.” Marluxia stated, to which Demyx nodded. “...Saix liked to hang out behind the Science building, which was right next to the Math building. He and Zexion crossed paths as Saix was going to his usual hang out, and Zexion walked around the Algebra room. Zexion accidentally tripped, and ran into Saix...Saix was stoic at first, but shoved Zexion away rather forcefully. Zexion of course, got angry and began yelling at Saix, and...he shoved Saix back. This...I don’t really know how to explain it.” Marluxia muttered. “It was as if something inside of Saix snapped. He began yelling and shouting rather violently. I was walking to the Math building with Larxene when I saw it.”

Larxene took that opportunity to take over. “And next thing we knew, Saix basically grabbed Zexy’s head and smashed it into the side of the building. The moment we saw that, we immediately ran up to them and I forced Saix to let go of Zexy while Marluxia went by his side to see if he was alright...he wasn’t.”

Marluxia spoke up. “Blood was pouring from his head, and his eye was damaged as well. This caught the attention of the aides, and they immediately ran up to us, two of them restraining Saix, who by this time had calmed down. Another aide called 911, and it was at this time that Demyx and the Algebra teacher emerged from the room.”

Demyx held his head low, and it looked like tears were streaming from his face. “...I was so scared...I thought that Zexion would die from that. He was rushed to the hospital, where we quickly followed suit. Classes were cancelled for the rest of the day, of course...” Demyx looked up. “When we got there, the doctor’s told us there was minor swelling in his brain from the bleeding, but thankfully there was no permanent brain damage. However...” He sighed. “...He had lost the sight in his right eye from the bone around it shattering into the socket.” 

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing...this seemed like something that only happened in tragedy films, not in real life...and certainly something I never expected to happen to someone I knew. 

“But what really pissed us off though...” Marluxia spoke up again. “...Was that while Zexion was hospitalized for four months, Saix only got three months in juvenile detention due to being a minor, and suspension from school for the rest of the year. This of course, made him having to repeat senior year.”

Larxene grunted. “And then a certain redheaded moron, due to being so buddy-buddy with Saix, decided to intentionally flunk all his classes just so he could stay behind with Saix, and forgave him after only a few weeks.”

That...was rather surprising. Sure they were best friends, but to go that far...? And after what had happened, too! I probably would have never forgiven him if I was there at the time. “...I can’t believe something like that...” Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find the right words. The others looked at me in understanding. 

“It’s alright, Roxas.” Demyx spoke up. “This sort of thing...you wouldn’t really know how to react to...I know I didn’t know how to react at first when I saw what happened. I was frozen in place, feeling helpless until Larxene slapped me back into reality.”

Larxene had a look of triumph on her face. “Glad I did, too. You looked like you were going to faint.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Larxene teasing Demyx like that, while Demyx tried to tease her back, though he was failing at it. Marluxia joined in, so I decided to go back to eating. But in the back of my mind, I wondered what could have set Saix off like that. Maybe I was overthinking things, but...it was so strange about how he was calm one moment, then snapped the next. After a moment of thinking, I decided to talk to my mom about it. My mom was a nurse at the local hospital, after all, so she might know. 

...

It was after school again. And I was once again waiting for Ventus to appear. I hadn’t seen him much today aside from the morning (obviously), and a glimpse of him at lunch. Seriously, I hate having to wait out here for him. And I silently hoped that Vanitas didn’t do something to him like last time. Sighing, I decided to remove my backpack and sit down on the concrete. It wasn’t long before I, once again, had company. I felt like I was never alone when at this school.

“...Did they tell you what happened?”

Zexion had appeared before me, holding a binder and book in his hands. He seemed to be waiting to be picked up, since he occasionally looked at the parking lot where the cars came into the school.

I nodded. “They...gave me the just of it.” I didn’t want to say anything out of line by accident.

Zexion stared at me, before looking back at the parking lot. “...I didn’t know why that happened to me. It was so fast, I couldn’t even comprehend the situation I was in. Next thing I knew, my world went black, and I was in a hospital bed with bandages over my head and eye.” He explained. “...I still haven’t forgiven Axel, you know. I only tolerate his presence because the others forgave him after awhile.”

“Was it because of Axel forgiving Saix rather quickly?” I questioned.

Zexion smiled slightly. “Not only that...Saix, obviously, had to go to court to see what his sentence was. Axel went to his hearing in order to give a statement about Saix...to talk about the good that was in him.” Zexion glared at nothing in particular. “I’m not sure what Axel said during that hearing, but whatever it was...it worked. As a result, Saix got a reduced sentence to only a few months. It also helped that he was a minor at the time, so that would have already given him a lighter sentence.”

I now understood why everyone was so hostile towards Saix, and why Zexion was the only one to not acknowledge Axel’s presence during lunch. Understandable, I thought, though I wondered if Zexion could ever forgive and forget...not likely, I concluded rather quickly. It wasn’t until Zexion caught sight of something, that his expression actually changed into something other than hate or emotionless. And this expression...was...blushing? I quickly turned my head in the direction he was looking at, to see Xion and an older man walking to the parking lot. The man had long blond hair and what seemed like a permanent scowl on his face. Xion looked happy enough, and it seemed like she caught sight of us from afar and waved at us (to which I waved back, while Zexion merely looked at the book in his hand shyly), the man looking in our direction as well, before getting in a black Toyota and driving out of the school parking lot.

I turned to Zexion. “...Do you have a crush on Xion or something?” 

Zexion mumbled. “...No...she wasn’t whom I was looking at...”

It took me a few moments to realize that he was staring at the man with Xion. I almost choked on my saliva, but quickly tried to regain my composure since I could feel Zexion glaring daggers at me. “I-I’m sorry, come again? You were staring at...?”

Zexion groaned. “I swear, if you tell anyone about this...”

“I-I promise I won’t tell!” I reassured him. 

“...Good.” Zexion stared down at his book again. “...That was Mr. Even...the AP Chemistry teacher, and Xion’s father.”

So I figured, considering how Xion drove off with him. But...this was just a teacher crush, right? I remembered at my old school, Olette developed a major crush on our English teacher, Mr. Squall Leonhart. She practically made every excuse possible just to spend more time in the classroom with him, even going so far as to getting in trouble a few times. It was tiring, really. “...So...you like the teacher? Like, a crush?”

Zexion hesitantly nodded. “Erm...intellectually attracted, I suppose. Though he’s...not that bad looking, either...” I could practically hear the amount of embarrassment in the other’s voice. “...I know it’s weird...but nothing will come out of it most likely, so I’m keeping it as a crush...”

I chuckled slightly. “Hey, no worries. This’ll stay with me unless you want me to tell people...which I’m assuming is out of the question.” 

Zexion nodded, before standing up. “...My ride’s here. I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m assuming?”

I nodded. “Sure thing.”

Zexion actually smiled at that, and ran off to catch his ride. 

...

I looked at my phone. School’s been out for about an hour now, and Ventus still wasn’t there. I began to get worried, so I got up from my seat on the ground and texted him.

_Roxas: Hey, where are you?_

I sent the message, and looked around the parking lot. Most of the students were already gone, with the exception of a few groups still hanging around here and there. After a few minutes, my phone began to vibrate. I looked at it and saw it was from Ventus.

_Ven: Sorryyyyyy, I’ll be out in a few. got caught up with something c:_

I sighed. He could have at least told me what he was doing. Though within fifteen minutes, I saw Ventus run out from the campus grounds to where I was standing. 

“I’m so sorry, Roxas. I was hanging out with a new friend I met and lost track of time.” Ventus stated apologetically. 

I nodded with a neutral expression. “Was it the blue haired girl I saw you sitting with at lunch?”

Ventus looked surprised. “...Yeah. If you saw us, why didn’t you sit with us? I could have introduced you...”

“Nah, I thought you would have preferred talking to her alone...” I hinted something in my voice, to which Ventus picked up right away and began to laugh. “No it’s not like that. Besides, I learned that she has a boyfriend. He graduated last year so he’s in college now. She said I could hang out with her sometime over the weekend to meet him and stuff.”

“Oh, speaking of the weekend.” I took out the invitation that Kairi gave me. “Apparently there’s a Halloween party on Saturday, and Kairi invited us. She said it’s at Sora’s house.”

Ventus began thinking it over, and in the end, he smiled. “That sounds awesome! You’re going, right Roxas? I don’t want to go alone...”

I smiled. “...Well, if you go, then I guess I’m in too.”

We then began the walk back home, with Ventus talking about the party, as well as what his friend was like, while I merely shrugged and commented on things he said. A lot had happened today, but still, I felt like things could get better as time passed...

.

.

.

“Saix, my brother is at work. There’s nothing to be scared about.”

“...I’m not scared, Axel. Just...on edge.”

Axel smirked. “Understandable. But you seemed rather hasty today. Normally you wouldn’t go up to me while my friends are around to hint at this.”

Saix glared at him. “Why do you think I was late to school today?” He lied down. “Now hurry up and get over here, or else I’ll have to drag you over myself.”

Axel chuckled at that. “Sounds kinky.” And he got onto his bed, looming over Saix’s body and lowered his head a bit, his face inches from Saix’s. “...Does this excite you? I think it does.” He leaned down and began kissing Saix’s neck, which made Saix breath hitch a bit. Axel chuckled and continued to kiss and suck on the other’s neck, his hands venturing under Saix’s shirt and began to caress his skin. He then sat up, sitting on Saix’s lower half, and began undoing the other’s belt. “...Are you ready...?”

Saix’s eyes were glazed over, lost in thought. “...Yeah.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the chapters will occasionally switch POVs between characters, so I apologize if it might get a little confusing.
> 
> I RP Demyx on Tumblr, so I based Demyx in this story off of my RP blog.


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